KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. — Under one of the three surviving Saturn V Moon rockets, Buzz Aldrin’s ShareSpace Foundation hosted a gala and auction in honor of mankind’s first footsteps on another world on Saturday, July 15, 2017.

The event was held just five days prior to the 48th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing that saw Aldrin and Neil Armstrong become the first humans to set foot on Earth’s closest celestial neighbor, the Moon. The duo touched down on the Moon’s Sea of Tranquility (Mare Tranquillitatis) on July 20, 1969, the first of six crewed landings on the lunar surface.

The ShareSpace Foundation is a nonprofit organization formed to encourage young people to pursue careers in S.T.E.A.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Math). Aldrin conveyed these statements in the days leading up to this weekend’s gala.

“As we approach the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing, it’s my ultimate ambition to lay the foundations that will inspire and support the next generation to become space pioneers. I passionately believe that we can land people on Mars by 2040. To do this we need to provide our future space pioneers with the right educational tools and motivation and we need the funding to do so,” Aldrin stated via a release. “By attending the event, guests are invited to play a historical role in the advancement of Mars exploration by sharing our vision and supporting our ambitions. Humanity needs to explore, to push beyond current limits, just like we did in 1969. I want to do everything I can to lay the groundwork.”

All profits from ticket sales as well as other fundraising efforts went to the non-profit ShareSpace Foundation.

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